SPARC Forums
Main Forums => General Issues => Topic started by: Sunshine1 on Feb 26, 2007, 06:24:17 PM
Do you happen to know what the Iowa law states regarding at what age you can leave a child alone and for how long? And what age they consider old enough to babysit?
Any Iowans that know..please chime in. Thanks!
This is directly off of the DHS policy manual page.
http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/policyanalysis/PolicyManualPages/Manual_Documents/Forms/comm164.pdf
Children home alone
DHS receives many inquiries each year regarding when a child can be left home
alone safely. Iowa law does not define an age that is appropriate for a child to be
left alone. Each situation is unique. Examples of questions to help determine
whether there are safety concerns for the child include:
�� Does the child have any physical disabilities?
�� Could the child get out of the house in an emergency?
�� Does the child have a phone and know how to use it?
�� Does the child know how to reach the caretaker?
�� How long will the child be left home alone?
�� Is the child afraid to be left home alone?
�� Does the child know how to respond to an emergency such as fire or injury?
The Red Cross here offers Babysitting courses at starting at age 11, so I am thinking that is the age that they can babysit.
HTH
Angel
Wow. 11 seems awfully young to be babysitting. Heck, we didn't even leave our kids home alone for short periods at that age.
Deleted
Call a local police department in the state.
In our state it's basically wide open and up to the discretion of the parent when the child is responsible enough to stay home alone for extended periods (8 years old and up I believe was the crap they spouted).
There are laws regarding babysitting though. The police should be able to provide the information.
Just what I was looking for!
Needed it for a friend. He left his 10 year old in charge of his 6 year old for 30 minutes to run and get a few groceries for dinner, both of which are VERY mature for their age....10 year old going on 25 really and the 6 year old not far behind. 6 year old told the mother and freaked out.
I think it will be fine but he just needed his ducks in a row. :)
Sorry, Sunshine! DH and I just got home from vacation and I'm just now catching up. Did you get the info you were looking for? If not, just let me know, and I can dig some more.............